The 70-acre plot would be used for the Ames-Locust Area Redevelopment Plan, which calls for four new businesses to be built. Officials said the neighborhood next to the land has a 50 percent poverty rate, so getting more jobs to the area is at the top of their list.

Councilman Ben Gray said he has personally seen interest in the site from two businesses, one of which would hire low-skilled workers and train them. He and his colleagues are hoping purchase negotiations will soon be successful.

The city had a deadline of April 3 to have a plan in place in order to ensure that nearly $45,000 in state grant money to help buy the land would remain available to the city. The city met that deadline Tuesday with the approval.

The owner of the land, Andersen Excavating, did not comment on the ordinance. There is no time frame for the city to decide if it will go forward with declaring eminent domain, taking the land.